Runt of the Litter (4 page)

“I wasn’t alone.”

“Your uncle on your cell phone is not a presence.”

“How did you know it was him?”

“You called his name when you came out of the water.”

“He’s been helping me, Jack. You’re never going to be
able to understand because you don’t know what
it’s
like to be me.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, sitting back as the
waitress placed their meal in front of them. When she tried to flirt he shot
her down with a look. His mate was sitting opposite him. There wasn’t any way
he was going to ever want to flirt with another woman.

“Wow, that was mean,” Tori said.

“What was?”

“She was being nice, and you went all serious on her
ass. If you gave her another smile she’d give you her number.”

“You’re crazy. I don’t want anything to do with her.”

He picked up his fork, piercing a slice of pancake.
This completely sucked. He was sitting with his mate, the one woman or girl,
that was supposed to be his for the rest of his life, and she was trying to set
him up with someone else.

She doesn’t know.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t upset me.” Gritting his teeth, he chewed
on the pancake.

“Well, I’m sorry either way.”

“Get back to the subject,” he said, taking a swallow
of his coffee. “How are we different? We’re both part of the same pack.”

“And yet we’re nothing alike, not really. You’re
training to become the pack beta, Jack. Me, I’m struggling to get through every
day. How many packs have you heard that send away one of their own because it’s
too damned rough for them?”

“I’ve not.” He hated to admit the truth.

“Exactly.
The reason being, they don’t do it. I’m the runt. You hate for me to
say it, but it’s true. I can see the fear in all of their faces. I’ve got two
years.” He gripped the edge of the table, hating the reminder of what she had
to go through. “In two years I could live or I could die. My chances are far
less for surviving. I see the fear in my family’s eyes. They’re scared for me.
My days are limited.”

“What was with your jumping? That I don’t get.”

She licked her lips before taking a bite of pancake.

“You’ve got to tell me otherwise I’ll put a stop to
Uncle Paul.”

“You won’t. He’s been helping me in ways people do not
understand.”

“Then make me understand, Tori. Make me understand why
you would put yourself at risk like that.”

“I sense my wolf, Jack. She’s woken up.”

“That’s not possible. We can never sense our wolves
before the transition.”

“What I was doing was getting stronger. I was caught
in the weeds like last time. Only, I didn’t panic. I wasn’t scared. I untangled
myself, and my wolf has woken up. She’s in a cage right now locked inside my
head, but she’s there.”

He’d never heard of a pack member knowing their wolf.
They all could sense their other half, their beast half, but it only came
through during the transition.

“Uncle Paul is training me. He’s teaching me how to
fight, how to be stronger, what to do where I once panicked. My reflexes are
better.” She glanced around the diner. “My hearing has improved. I didn’t hear
you, but I was focused on something else. I blanked everything out, including
you.”

“Do your parents know?”

“They don’t even know that I know their fear, Jack.”
She twirled her fork on her plate. “This is so messed up.”

“What else is your uncle doing?”

“He’s trying to find any record of a runt surviving
the change. When I go back to him after the summer, I’m going into more intense
training. Please, Jack, don’t tell my parents.”

“I don’t like how you’re referring yourself as a
runt.”

“It’s the truth. Look at me, and look at everyone in
our pack.”

“You’re small.”

“I’m like a damned hobbit compared to them.”

Jack chuckled even though it wasn’t a laughing matter.
“You’re determined to do this.”

“Do you see any other choice for me?” she asked.

“No, I don’t.”

“Then I’m going to keep this up.”

“Give me your cell phone. I want to talk with Paul.
Save our table,” he said, taking the phone from her and leaving the room.

He scrolled through her contacts, finding Paul’s name.

“What was going on, Tori?” Paul asked.

Jack wasn’t going to think of him as Uncle Paul. They
were not related.

“This is Jack Rowlands. I’m the junior beta of Tori’s
pack.”

“She’s told me about you.”

He got a thrill at hearing that.

“I want to know what you know.”

“Why are you taking an interest?” Paul asked.

“What I’m about to tell you is to stay between you and
me. Her parents don’t even know, understood?”

“Yes.”

“Tori
is
my mate. She’s told
me you’ve been trying to train her. Make her stronger.”

“I have.”

“I want to help. I’ve heard all the doubts of what it
will be like during her transition. I want to help give her every chance of
succeeding.”

“You’re her mate?”

“Yes.”

“How are you going to explain helping her?”

“I’m a concerned friend. She doesn’t know who I am. My
father doesn’t want me to tell her yet, and I don’t want her to know, or be
distracted by me.”

“Then I need you to keep in touch. It’s important we
make her strong. She didn’t want to go home this summer, but her parents
wouldn’t allow her to stay behind. I thought this summer could help her draw
focus within the pack.”

Jack listened intently to everything Paul had to say.
“When she returns to you I’ll be coming as well.” He wasn’t going to be parted
from his mate.

“Until then, I need you to help her. I can’t be there,
and it will worry her parents if they think she’s growing too attached to me.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m an uncle that married into the family. I don’t
have any wolf blood, and my mate died giving birth. My son didn’t make it
either.”

“Shit, man, I’m so sorry.”

“Tori
means
the world to me.
Help her, Jack. I’m putting her future in your hands as much as my own.”

Chapter Four

Tori watched Jack enter the diner. He was so
self-assured, so big, massive even. If she had a problem with her size her
issues would only grow bigger if she stayed beside Jack. She liked how his
presence comforted her.

Whoever mated with Jack was going to be very lucky.

“I’m helping you,” he said, handing her back her
phone.

“You’re helping me?”

“Yes. I’ve spoken with Paul, and we’re going to
continue your training here. My parents are not always home, and we’ve got some
workout equipment. You can come by my place and I’ll help you.”

“I’m not looking to work in a gym.”

“We’re going to strengthen your overall body. Slowly,
over the summer we’re going to work on your reflexes. I’ll be joining you at
your uncle’s afterward.”

“How are you going to do that?” she asked, amazed at
the dedication he was showing.

“I’m going to talk with my dad. He’ll understand. It’s
important for you to be as strong as possible.”

“So you’re finally admitting there’s a risk.”

He kept staring at her for several seconds. “What I’m
about to tell you must remain between us.”

“Okay.” She was intrigued.

“During my transition
I flat-lined.”

“Flat-lined?”

“I didn’t make it, Tori. The pain, the stress, it was
too much.”

“What happened? I mean, something had to have happened
because you’re sitting with me now.”

“My dad and mom, they gave me CPR, and finally, my
father shocked me with an electric current.”

Pressing a hand to her mouth, she was in total shock.
“You nearly died.” She rubbed at her chest. The thought of him being dead
really upset her. Tears filled her eyes, and she gasped as her wolf howled in
her mind.

“I survived the rest of the transition, which for some
strange reason was the hardest, yet I survived. I don’t know what happened. I
was in pain, and then I was floating, almost like I just needed a break so that
when I woke up, something was different.”

“What did you father say?”

“The same happened to him. He believes as betas we’re
given a hard path as protectors of the pack. Dying, even for a moment, helps us
to become better protectors. You’re not going to die on me, Tori. I won’t let
it.”

“I hate to say this to you, Jack. Neither of us have a
choice if death comes for me.”

He took hold of her hand. The touch of his fingers was
like a bolt of lightning striking her. Her wolf stood up and started to pace
the cage within her mind.

“You’re right. She’s awake,” Jack said. He touched her
cheek, staring into her eyes.
“Your eyes, Tori.
They’ve gone from a deep blue to
a dark
amber.” He
started to laugh. “She is there.”

“You can sense her.”

“I can fucking
feel her, babe. She’s right there locked within a small cage, waiting
to be set free.”

She liked how he called her babe. It seemed like he
forgot himself for a second.

“Babe?”

“What?”

“You just called me babe.”

“No, I didn’t.”

She chuckled but decided to let it drop. The last
thing she wanted to do was get into an argument about what he did and did not
call her.

“Why are you laughing?”

“You make me smile. Why can’t I laugh about that?” She
touched his hand, moving it away from her face. “Thank you for being there for
me, Jack. It really means a lot to me. More than you’ll ever even realize.”

“Eat. I want you to be strong.”

She started eating again while listening to Jack talk.

“What about college? You can’t put your studies on
hold because of me.”

“When you’re at school I’ll study online. I’ll get my
courses changed and switched. It’s not a problem.”

“This seems really unfair to me.”

“It’s not to me. One day I’m going to be taking over
from my father. I’ll be protecting the pack. How would I feel taking over when
I couldn’t even spare the time for you and something happened? I’m not going to
risk it, and you’re going to accept my help with grace.”

“You’re becoming very mature in your old age. Anyone
tell you that?”

“Everyone would laugh at you if you even so much as
put my name and mature in the same sentence.”

“I see what you’re doing, but it’s not going to work.
You’ve all grown up, Jack.”

“Don’t even think about it.”

She smiled, finishing off her breakfast. “I enjoyed
that. I enjoyed spending time with you.”

“Good.”

Tori folded her arms while watching him eat. “So
what’s Scarlett like then?”

“She’s nice. Considering we were total bastards to
her, she’s handling being a mate well.”

“Can I meet her? Is that against the rules?”

“No, no rules. You can meet her if you’d like.”

“I would.”

He pulled out his cell phone and started typing.
“She’s always with Marshall just lately. They’re mated and they’re married.”

“Married?”

“Yes, they were married this summer before you came
home. They’re great together, and Marshall’s teaching Scarlett of the pack
ways. Everyone adores her, especially with how she supports him.”

“She sounds special.”

“To Marshall she is.”

“And you used to bully her?”

“We did. Put it this way. It opened my eyes in a big
way.”

“No more bullying in your future?”

“No more.” He finished his food as his cell beeped.

“Marshall’s happy to meet us. I figured we could go to
his place, hang out. His folks are out for the day.”

“I’d love to.”

“Let me grab the check and we’ll be on our way.”

Taping her fingers on the table, she watched as Jack
paid for the food. There wasn’t a crumb left. She couldn’t believe how much he
packed away.

“Can we stop off home first? I don’t want my mom to
worry.”

“Sure.”

She followed him outside to the waiting car. It was
roasting, and she tugged off her shirt as she started to sweat. Tying the shirt
around her waist, she climbed into the passenger side. She rolled down the
window trying to get some fresh air.

“I’ve got to get the car in the shop. The air con went
a couple of days ago.”

“Don’t worry about it, but I might melt into the
leather seats.”

“I’ll peel you off if need be.”

Tori chuckled. Staring out of the window, she couldn’t
believe how calm she felt by being with him. Ever since she’d learned about
what challenges she faced she’d been scared. It wasn’t a fear out of the unknown
but knowing something bad was going to happen. Even when she laughed with her
family, it was always there. Being with Jack, she actually felt that everything
was going to be okay.

She trusted him, and that was strange considering they
had a past but not much of one. Their time away hadn’t stopped her from
thinking about him. She had found herself at odd moments wondering what he was
doing, if he was happy.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“You.”

“Do I even want to know what you’re thinking about?”

“No. You don’t. You’re supposed to be cool, and what
I’m thinking is sweet, not cool.”

“Great. Now I’m sweet. You’re so going to mess with my
rep.”

“Jack, you’re too old to go with street talk.”

“I’m nineteen.”

“And yet you’re acting way younger.” She couldn’t stop
giggling.

He pulled up in front of her house, and she climbed
out without waiting for him to help.

“I wanted to open your door,” he said with a pout.

“Don’t worry about it. Come on.”

She entered the house to hear her family was worried.

“She couldn’t have gone far,” Carl said. “Jack’s not
answering his damn phone.”

“Dad, I’m talking to the alpha right now,” Emma said.

“She’s with Jack. She’ll be fine,” Rachel said.

Her siblings were also shouting. Some of them were
telling the others not to worry while others were arguing that she wasn’t safe.

“Guys, I’m right here,” she said, keeping her voice
calm. They were all in the kitchen while she stood by the front door.

The whole of her family rushed toward her. She held
her back pack tighter against her. Jack wrapped his arm around her waist,
pulling her close.

“Where the hell have you been?”

“I went out. Jack did call to tell you not to worry.”

“You went out alone. We’ve told you not to go out
alone, Tori. God damn it,” Carl said, completely ignoring the rest of her
explanation.

“It’s my fault, Mr. Hunter. I wanted to take her out
for breakfast. She told me you were all asleep. We were having so much fun that
we forgot to call to update you of where we were going. We didn’t intend to
take this long.”

He’d lied for her. Her family worried over the
smallest thing. Jack had already called, and yet they were bugging them both
because they took longer.

Glancing behind her, she smiled at Jack. “That’s
exactly what happened.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
Not alone in any way.”

Her dad looked from Jack to her then back again.
“Okay, well next time you better call or you’ll be grounded.”

“I’m going to put my backpack away.”

“She wants to meet Marshall’s mate. I’ve organized it
already. I can have her back by six,” Jack said.

Rushing up to her bedroom, she knew Rachel was
following her.

“What’s going on?” Rachel asked, closing the door
behind her.

“Nothing is going on.”

“Jack Rowlands had his arm around your waist and it
was nothing?”

“Well, it wasn’t.”

“I think he’s got a crush on you.” Rachel folded her
arms underneath her breasts. Tori rolled her eyes.

“Please, Jack could have any girl he wanted. He’s not
hanging around with me because he wants me.”

She tossed her bag into her wardrobe, putting her cell
phone into her pocket.

“He’s always been nice to you, Tori. In fact, you’re
the only girl I’ve seen him say anything nice to.”

“He’s a nice guy.”

“No, he’s not. He’s got a reputation for being a
bastard. I’ve seen firsthand how treats the girls at school. There are a lot of
broken hearts because of him.”

Turning to face her sister, Tori held her hands out in
surrender. “You caught me. We’re having some major romance and screwing every
chance he gets.”

“Don’t be sarcastic. You’re underage, and you couldn’t
pull that off even to Mom and Dad.”

Groaning, she stared up at the ceiling. “Leave it
alone, Rach. Seriously nothing is going to happen between us, and nothing has.
He’s a friend.”

She quickly brushed her hair before moving toward her
sister.

“Do you think you’re his mate?” Rachel asked.

The wolf locked in her cage perked up. She liked the
idea, and yet, something seemed to tug the wolf back.

“We’re not mates.”

“Mates don’t know for real until the transition. Jack
would know, but you wouldn’t.”

“I’m not going to waste time over this. We’re not
mates. We’re friends. Stop trying to make this about something it isn’t.”

Rachel held her hands up in surrender. “Okay, try and
bluff your way out of it. I don’t mind.”

“I’m not bluffing. Please just try to be happy for
me.” She wrapped her arms around her sister, hugging her close.

“That’s cheating.”

“No, it’s called using emotion to blackmail you.” Tori
chuckled, walking downstairs to find Jack talking with her father.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“All set. I’ll see you later, Dad.”

“Call next time you’re out for a long time. I know
,
I know you called, but I worry. We don’t like you keeping
to yourself. It has been three years, Tori. Give me a chance to be a dad.”

“Will do, Dad.”
She kissed him before heading toward the door. Jack grabbed her hand,
and when she looked upstairs, Rachel had her arms folded with her brow raised.
“It’s nothing.” She mouthed the words to Rachel.

Was it really nothing?

****

Marshall was waiting outside when he pulled up. “Hey,
man. I’m surprised you remember I exist.”

Jack embraced his friend, aware of Tori watching him.
“I couldn’t come and interrupt your mating.
There’s
all kinds of rumors about you staying in bed.”